by Dalton Lifsey

As a blood-bought, Bible-believing, Christ-adoring Christian, there are many things that Israel has done and continues to do on a political, social, government, territorial, and ethical plane that I strongly disagree with. And I soberly acknowledge that my disagreement will only become stronger as the “controversy of Zion” (Is. 34:8; Zech. 12:2-3) continues to escalate before the return of the Lord because of the extremes that Israel will be forced to respond to.

The extreme times will force Israel to use extreme measures to maintain their existence in the face of the extremity of the mounting onslaught. Some of this will be necessary and justifiable. And some of it will be morally disastrous. But with that said, every now and again Israel does something that should compel us to step back and behold the uniqueness of this people and their nation. Today is one of those days. 

The Israeli government has agreed to release 1,000 imprisoned Palestinians (some 400 of them prisoners serving long sentences for some of the worst terrorist atrocities in the country’s history) in exchange for one young Israeli, Gilad Schalit (who was abducted on June 25, 2006). Read Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the Israeli Cabinet here. This is a significant day in the Middle East. And in it there is an important lesson to learn about the nature of this peculiar nation-state that bears the brunt of so much constant criticism and scorn. 

[Read more...]